Dixieland Jazz for Children
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Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH -- School Library Journal, 7/25/2008
Dixieland Jazz for Children. CD. 46:06 min. Wiggle Worm Records. 2007. $15.
PreS-Gr 6–New Orleans natives Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca have teamed up to acquaint youngsters with Dixieland Jazz via 18 original tunes and one classic. The opening number, “Dixieland Jazz,” provides listeners with the sounds of each instrument in the combo. “That Dixie Beat” explains that type of jazz music. The lyrics of many songs make them useful for story times. “Do the Charleston,” “Alligator Snap,” and “Dance and Sing” are fun for dance/movement activities. “Busy Beeline” is a peppy tune about bees, and “Swaying with the Trees” is a laid-back song that could be used for dancing with scarves. “Tiger Rag” is a classic penned by LaRocca’s father. Closing the recording is “Someday Your Dreams,” a bluesy Big Band-sounding ballad. Jimmy LaRocca’s Original Dixieland Jazz Band, a New Orleans staple, is highlighted well throughout with a tight sound. LaRocca sings lead on a few numbers with a voice that channels Louis Armstrong in its timbre and tone. Downing sings lead on most songs, and her pleasant voice and predictable style is more akin to Doris Day than a raw, soulful Ella Fitzgerald. Curiously, she chooses to pronounce the city as “New Or-leenz in several tunes, rather than the local pronunciation “New Or-luns” (which she does use once in “New Orleans Street”). Downing and LaRocca have assembled a toe-tapping collection of Dixieland jazz to introduce children to this niche music.
